One of dozens of high-powered rockets lifts off on April 16, 2016, during NASA's 16th annual Student Launch challenge, which was held near Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, from April 13-16.

Image Credit: NASA/MSFC/Charles Beason.

Nearly 50 middle and high school, college and university teams from 22 states competed in the challenge, demonstrating advanced aerospace and engineering skills related to real-world activities and programs on NASA's Journey to Mars. Teams spent the past eight months building and testing rockets designed to fly to an altitude of one mile, deploy an automated parachute system, and land safe enough for reuse, while other teams also designed scientific payloads for data collection during flight.

Preliminary winners for Student Launch were announced during an awards ceremony April 16, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, and hosted by Orbital ATK. The overall winners of Student Launch will be announced in early May, as the final calculations are still under review for accuracy.

The announced winners are:

Best Vehicle Design Award: Cornell University of Ithaca, New York, with the most creative, innovative and safety-conscious overall rocket design

Safety Award: University of Louisville in Kentucky, for maximizing safety and science value in their design

Project Review Award: Vanderbilt University of Nashville, Tennessee, with the best combination of written reviews & formal presentations

Best Looking Rocket Award (College Division): University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Best Looking Rocket Award (Middle/High School Division): Krueger Middle School of San Antonio, Texas

Team Spirit Award (College Division): Auburn University of Auburn, Alabama.

Team Spirit (Middle/High School Division): Krueger Middle School of San Antonio, Texas

The Student Launch Teams included...

Alabama A&M University, Normal, Alabama

Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama

Citrus College, Glendora, California

Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee

Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

University of Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

University of California, Davis, California

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

University of Maine, Orono, Maine

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana

University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama

University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio

Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York

Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania

Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Student Launch Teams—with MAV Component

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

California State University, Long Beach, California

Florida International University, Miami, Florida

University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia

University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida

Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri

University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Madison West High School, Madison, Wisconsin

Fresno Rocket Works, Fresno, California

Middle School & High Schools

First Baptist Youth Group, Manchester, Connecticut

Hart County 4-H, Munfordville, Kentucky

Ingraham High School, Seattle, Washington

Krueger Middle School, San Antonio, Texas

Jordan High School, Durham, North Carolina

Madison West High School, Madison, Wisconsin

Northview Engineering-Sylvania Northview High School, Sylvania, Ohio

Russellville High School, Russellville, Alabama

Plantation High School (New Team), Plantation, Florida

Plantation High School (Returning Team), Plantation, Florida

Spring Grove Area High School -- Team Tesla, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania

Spring Grove Area High School -- Team Darwin, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania

St. Vincent -- St. Mary High School, Akron, Ohio

Western High School, Davie, Florida

Team members from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, carry their rocket to the launch pad during the 16th annual Student Launch challenge, April 16, near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.